


"You're waiting for me?"

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders' Era, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-28
Updated: 2007-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-19 12:13:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12410100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: ONESHOT - Lily's mad. Sirius doesn't argue but James...well he can't help himself!





	"You're waiting for me?"

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

  


“Why have you always got to be such a Pratt?!” yelled Lily loudly.

 

James turned quickly, as did his friends, and saw the girl who made his insides feel funny. His hand jumped to his hair automatically, scrunching it. “Is that a rhetorical question Evans, or do you want me to answer?” he asked before thinking. Why did he always do that?! He regretted it within seconds.

 

“I can’t believe you! The two of you!” she continued, getting angrier at his laid back arrogance.

 

Sirius (who was at James’s side) winced slightly; he was not as used to being yelled at by Lily as James was. “Come on now Evans, we didn’t do a thing.”

 

“Exactly!” she exclaimed, her hands flailing in front of her. “I can’t believe you just stood there and watched them duel!” she paused a moment and looked at Sirius “Well maybe you,” she turned back to James “but I would have thought maybe you might have stepped in!”

 

James was taking offence to being yelled at. “Hey, they wanted to do it! They’ve been at each others throats for ages. We just reckoned if they got it over and done with then they’d leave each other alone.”

 

Lily laughed cruelly. “What a ridiculous one brain-celled thing to think! They could have been really injured…not that they aren’t badly beaten up now! How could you possibly think that was a good idea?”

 

“Hey it’s their lives! If they want to duel to the death then…” started Sirius but Remus had placed his hand on his arm to pull him back, out of the argument.

 

Lily glared at him forcefully, as if to tell him to shut up.

 

“Come on now Evans, they would have just done it somewhere else, another time…” said James pleadingly, as if trying to persuade her he was right.

 

“It still doesn’t warrant you watching them hurt one another!” she shouted back, her fists clenched. “And there was me thinking your mental age may have finally caught up to your real age! Shows you what I know, doesn’t it!”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” asked James hotly.

 

“That means James Potter, that you are an impossible, childish, immature and sadistic seventeen year old boy!” She spun round, making to walk away.

 

James however caught her arm. “Come on now, there must be something you like bout me!” He had a feeling he was pushing his luck.

 

Lily’s laugh was cruel. “You know, I can’t think of a single thing! Not one!” She made it to a door before he caught up, blocking her way. “Get out of my way!”

 

“No.” he said shortly, his cheeks were red from arguing. “Not till you tell me what to do for you to give me a chance!”

 

Remus let out a small groan… “Here we go again.” he muttered to Peter.

 

Peter had been watching the two fighting students with anticipation; usually Lily ended arguments like this with a slap. He nodded in agreement with Remus, putting his fingers in his mouth.

 

Lily’s hands were now on her hips. “Don’t start this with me now!” she warned.

 

James however, never heeded her warnings and ploughed on regardless. “I know you like having me around, so what’s the deal!”

 

She shook her head disbelievingly. “What is your problem?!”

 

“You!” he replied, his hands restless. “Tell me how to make everything alright and I will! Coz I know you like me!”

 

“I don’t like you!” she shouted, frustration getting the better of her.

 

He was shaking his head, not wanting to believe her. “Don’t give me that. Why are you now here yelling at just me? Instead of shouting at Sirius too?!”

 

She scowled. “Because Black has the sense to shut up and take it! And I thought that you might have known better…but obviously I was wrong!”

 

“What would you have had me do? Jump in there and get jinxed?” he asked loudly.

 

“Yes! That’s exactly what I’d have had you do! That’s what I or even Remus would have done if we were there!” she yelled back.

 

James’s eyes narrowed at the mention of his friend’s name. The green eyed monster in his belly woke with a growl. “Oh how did I know you’d bring Remus into this!? If you love him so much why don’t you marry him?”

 

Lily stood still, her arm extended and her mouth and eyes open. “What?!” she was completely flabbergasted.

 

“Well you go on about how virtuous and great he is…why not just ask him out and be done with it.” his voice sounded like poison.

 

Remus however felt very uncomfortable. He knew James had been a bit jealous of his and Lily’s friendship, but that’s all it was; friendship. Sirius looked at him for a second, pulling a ‘sorry-you-got-drawn-into-this’ face.

 

“Oh my god!” said Lily, realising what he was implying. “I mentioned Remus because he would have handled the situation differently! And if you want to get into it, yes, I do think he’s a better person than you!”

 

This hit James in the chest like an icicle. “Fine.” he replied, a little deflated.

 

Lily however hadn’t finished “And do you want to know the difference between you and Remus?!” she didn’t wait for him to reply. “He’s grown up! He isn’t pathetically childish! And here I’ve been, waiting patiently for you to finally do the impossible and mature, thinking maybe you were starting to but no! You go and prove me to be an idiot! You can never grow up, can you?!”

 

“What?” asked James, taking in all she had just said. “You’re waiting for me to grow up?”

 

Lily looked at the floor, angry with herself for letting that slip. “No…what I said was…”

 

“You’ve been waiting for me?!” James’s face was threatening to break into a smile…she’d been waiting…which meant he had a chance…

 

Remus’ uneasiness was shared by the remaining marauders now. Shouting and yelling they could deal with; they were used to it. But what James and Lily were just about to get into was something entirely different…private and embarrassing.

 

Lily was angry at herself and her voice rose again. “You’re not listening are you! I said you will never have a chance with me, do you hear?! You’ll never grow up, no matter how long I wait! You could be a hundred and still have the emotional age of a toddler!”

 

“But Lily…” he said, calmer than her.

 

“NO!” she shouted, shaking her head forcefully. “I don’t want to hear it! Actions speak louder than words and you’re behaviour today told me all I needed to know!! You are as pathetic and childish as you ever were and that’s that! Now move out of the way or else I’ll hex the living hell out of you!”

 

James numbly stepped aside getting a whiff of her perfume as she pushed passed. He was frowning into space.

 

His friends all looked at one another concernedly. That was not a typical argument…that was something much more. 

 

James however walked to a wall, leant his back against it and slid till his bum hit the floor, his knees to his chin. He folded his arms and hid his face in them moaning as if he were in pain.

 

Lily had stalked through the door but had stopped and turned round. Peering through the glass she could see James sat on the floor, looking miserable. Her heart felt as though it had been dunked in ice cold water. _Really, what did he expect_? She thought, though it didn’t take away the feeling of guilt now creeping up her stomach.

 

Sirius had made his way over to James, seeing his friend looking utterly deflated was kind of worrying to him. “Hey Prongs, at least she didn’t hit you this time!” he said, trying to lighten the atmosphere in the corridor.

 

James didn’t feel like lightening anything and muttered “Leave me alone.” into his arms. 

 

Sirius looked at Remus who shrugged and made to walk away. They knew James had a bit of a short temper on him sometimes, and knew when to keep out of his way on those occasions but never had he asked them to leave him alone in such a miserable voice before.

 

James sat there for a while, alone and in pain; not physical pain but emotional. Lily was the one girl he’d do anything for. She was the girl that made him first realise females existed. How could she not see how far he would be willing to go for her, if only she gave him a chance? But then her words echoed in his head – she’d never give him a chance…not if he kept letting her down. Maybe she was right; maybe they weren’t destined for one another as he had always believed. But then a bolt of hope hit him. She’d been waiting for him to grow up. Did that mean that if he did she would agree to date him? Did that mean that she had already fallen for him but was waiting until he showed her she could trust him? He straightened his legs and stared seriously at the floor. _I’m going to grow up this summer_ , he thought forcefully. _If that’s the only way there would be the slimmest chance for me and Lily then that’s what I’m going to do._  


 

**Just a little ONESHOT. Bless them. They got there in the end!**


End file.
